The Last Untime
by The Amaranth
Summary: Our favorite Great Valley dinosaurs grow into young adults, whom will learn new lessons and go through tougher challenges. While inside the their precious home changes, so does the world outside of themselves. It will take everyone's strengths and efforts to face a great peril that could end their peaceful valley living for good.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

Many years ago, before us, our human ancestors, the mammoth, and the saber-toothed tiger came upon the Earth, a very unusual and mighty species ruled the Earth. These beasts were known as the dinosaurs. These beautiful, powerful, yet susceptible creatures would rule the world for millions of years until a misfortune would come to exterminate them all, one by one.

There are a few theories of how these prehistoric creatures became extinct, such as a comet, the Earth over heating, the Earth coming in a deep freeze, or simply gradual change in the continents shifting. However there is another possibility that dinosaurs weren't destroyed by something outside of themselves, but they were destroyed by something among themselves.

While studies have shown that dinosaurs are indeed a primitive species and it would more then impossible for this to be likely, this story whether fact or fiction will let you decide for yourself.


	2. Changes I

**Change**

**PART 1**

_A proclamation of inclination is worth the information. To say that we need to be ignorant of our situation is not worth the harm and devastation. We only have this moment of beauty and creation. My friends, we are here to live, to die, but most importantly, __acclimation._

If there was a time where anyone could not consciously remember, yet never forget, it was the time of the dinosaurs. Or to be more direct, the cretaceous period, Mesozoic era, where dinosaurs would have their last breath of life on the precious Earth. In the earlier days, dinosaurs would usually stay within their own kind, within their own groups, and with their special codes and rules. However the dinosaurs heard of a valley. A beautiful gem to behold, the valley was a lush, green, habitat, where families could raise their young safely, without the worry of predators coming near. All dinosaurs of all species traveled from their original homes, periled through treacherous obstacles, over come their prejudices of one another, and found the valley that they decided to call, "The Great Valley".

In a field of the far right of the valley, there was a rose colored, young three horn chasing after a small, four legged flyer, which had sky colored wings. It delicately flew about in the mesh of emerald green and landed on a leaf.

_I'm not going to miss this time!_

The young three horn encouraged herself as she crept towards the little flyer carefully in the strands of green. Ever so slowly the little three horn came toward it. She dug the ground with her paw and snorted, which made the fragile creature flutter away from the leaf to a rock. The rosy-colored three horn groaned and growled in frustration. However, she remembered a saying her mother told her before.

"Tricia," as she was named, "things don't happen in that instant. Be patient."

After thinking over her mother's words, Tricia made a rather youthful facial expression of determination, with her tongue to the side and she lowered herself to the ground. The little flyer rested daintily on the rock, as if it was teasing Tricia, tempting her to strike.

Tricia then made a roar and charged at the rock, only to have the blue winged flyer fly away and Tricia smashing her head against the rock and making an "Umph!" noise.

"Tricia! There you are!" A familiar voice yelled at the tree-sweet colored three horn.

Wildly spinning around to the source of the voice, Tricia stared at an older, golden-colored three horn with piercing emerald eyes. Unlike Tricia, who was dark pink with a small, triangular horn on her snout, this golden beauty had a sharp, long and lean horn on her snout, and just right above the golden three horn's dark green eyes were the buds of two horns growing out. Once fully grown, she would have her full set of horns and be one of the most dangerous creatures in the valley. While this yellow dino was not a full adult yet, she was still as dangerous as ever. The three horn scolded Tricia loudly.

"I thought I told you to stay with the other three horns! You know how dad gets when you run off like this! And he'll kill me if he knew I let you out this far!"

Bending low, becoming timid from the older Three Horn's yelling, she tried to muster up the words to come out of her and get through to the yellow three horn.

"But-but Cera, I was just playing, and it wasn't dangerous. I was just chasing those little blue winged flyers here. I never went near the bubbling goo, the sinking sands, or tried to climb on anything too high!"

Cera, as the golden colored Three Horn was called, snorted impatiently and responded harshly, "Tell it to dad, not me." She then pointed her snout to the direction where her home resided.

Tricia rolled her eyes and muttered, "I think you meant to yell at dad, not me…"

Cera did not seem to hear her sister, however, she peered over the grass and found a dark gray older Three Horn looking about in the meadow. It was her father.

The green eyed Three Horn quickly kneeled down and curious by her older sister's actions, Tricia asked, "What did you see Cera?"

With the gracefulness of a dead tree falling onto the barren Earth, Cera rams into Tricia to have her hide. Then she shushes her and whispers, "It's dad, just keep quiet until he goes!"

Quickly nodding, Tricia stays low and worries about the ruckus Cera's thudding might have made. If it was too loud, Tops would know exactly where they were. Tricia's fears seemed to have become a reality, for both young Three Horns heard footsteps pounding against the Earth and heading in their direction.

"Tricia, Cera, why are you hiding?" A feminine voice asked worriedly behind them.

Both Three Horns were surprised to find a light pink Three Horn with white circles around her eyes staring at them. The three horn's blue eyes shined like the shining stones under the light of the night circle.

"Oh, hi mom." Tricia replied softly. Cera responded with a sheepish grin, "Tria, um…what are you doing here?"

Tria was about to open her mouth to respond, when a low, growling voice called out to her.

"Tria, did you find them? Are they there?"

Tria snorted in frustration and called back abruptly, "Topsy, just give me a minute!"

Topsy's voice called back, "What! Why?" He demanded as he came closer to the Three Horns.

Tria hastily told her children, "Go! Your father and I need to talk about a few things!"

Tricia immediately did as her mother said, but Cera was hesitant, for she wondered if she should stay to make sure Tria would be okay. Cera started to open her mouth to protest, but Tria would not hear any of it from her. So Cera slowly walked away to follow her younger sister. She also kept herself low to the ground so her father could not easily see her.

Once Topsy came up to Tria, he saw in the corner of his eye, Cera's tail twitching away through the grass. Topsy brashly moved to Cera's way and yelled, "You get back here you-" Tria interrupted him by physically getting in his way.

"Tops! I need to speak with you right now. You can speak to our daughters later." The pink Three Horn responded sternly to her mate. Mr. Three Horn narrowed his eyes and responded; "I think I have more then any right to see my daughters, now if you excuse me Tria." He shoved her away, but Tria persisted in being in his way. She shook her head and came right into his face.

"I need to talk to you! It is important for you listen!"

Mr. Three Horn kept trying to pass his mate, but being as stubborn as he was, she refused to budge.

"Topsy you better listen to me! This is a matter of you and your daughters! If you don't talk to me now, I will make certain that you do not go near my girls!" Her icy blue eyes narrowed at Tops dark brown ones.

The male stopped in his tracks, for he realized how important this was. He sighed and let himself lie down on his stomach and waited for Tria to start talking.

"Tria, you have my attention." He stated matter of factly.

With all the courage and coolness she could muster, Tria looked at her mate and inhaled. She exhaled while starting, "Topsy, I remember the day we met, I was so happy to see a long lost friend never the less be a mate to and have a daughter with! But now…I can't help but wonder that something has changed…something has made me think differently then I did before."

Mr. Three Horn suddenly became wide eyed and exclaimed, "Tria, if you are doing what I think you are doing, I think you absolutely have become thick in the head!"

Exasperated, Tria explained, "See Topsy, this is what I am talking about. Whenever we try to discuss something, you automatically go in the defense and put me down. Topsy, I want this to work out, I really do. But it seems that we have grown separate ways and now I wonder if we really should go our separate ways."

"You are mad." The dark Three Horn responded who was strangely sounding cool. Too cool to be taken seriously that he was taking any of this well.

"You can't fool me Three Horn! You love your daughters…and me. However, I gave you too many chances already. I am done. Good bye."

Mr. Three Horn's nostrils flared and his cool mask was ripped apart by the rage and disbelief he had within. He screamed a deadly, heart-wrenching cry that was both terrifying and tragic. With this, he rammed into his mate, which knocked her to the ground. Tria shook her head and slowly got herself up. Her eyes widened. She suddenly realized what she had done. Now she was going pay the consequences.


	3. Changes II

**Changes:**

**Part 2**

Upon the cliff barrier that bordered the valley from the outside world, a flyer family was busy trying to sustain itself, especially now that the mother fell under a spell of sickness, which sunk in deeper in her psyche rather than her physical body.

"Terri, you have that special plant water for the medicine don' you?" A young, orange and brown flyer with a slight speech impediment urgently asked a navy-blue flyer with dark brown eyes that appeared his age.

"Here it is Petrie, the plant water from the bug-winged plant." Terri responded in a quiet manner when she held out some large leaves filled with the special liquid towards her brother.

Petrie smiled earnestly as he took the chunky-looking plant from his sister.

Petrie peered through the intersection of dens to make a visit to an older, dark blue flyer. Terri hung back, but strained her ears to listen in case anything went wrong.

Sobbing was heard as it echoed through the cave, which made Petrie's heart sink to his stomach. However, he was able to step by his mother's nest-side and quietly respond to the coughing. "Mom, it me, Petrie."

His mother, whom looked just like Terry, minus the dark brown eyes, rose from her rest with a start. She looked right at the source of the voice with her watery, empty stare. This seemed to be the expression that she used on a daily basis whenever her children would come near. However, the blue flyer's expression turned dark, with a snarl in her tone. She muttered something in a deep, dark tone that would make one turn away and not look back. This was usual behavior for the older flyer to treat Petrie like this these days. It would happen everytime Petrie came into her territory.

"Mama, you need to take the medicine."

Petrie approached his mother in an unimposing way as much as he could. The older flyer still glared at him with hostility as he restated his last words gently, kneeling down at her side. After that, he reached for his mother to hold her steady as he did his work. The liquid poured down straight into his mother's mouth as he was able to pry open her beak. The taste was not terrible to most tasters that had the opportunity to use this bug-winged like plant, but between Petrie's action and the taste, it overwhelmed her senses. Her son however, was determined to heal his mother as determined as she was to get rid of the liquid. With great speed, he abruptly slammed her beak shut in order for her to swallow. Reluctantly, Mrs. Flyer swallowed with great disgust and annoyance.

Dialogue was rarely passed on between the two in events like this. All the actions spoke for themselves. Petrie, who gave this treatment to his mother many times before, could oversee her and take care of her. The mother could also oversee him and her children, but could never remember who they were and why they were there. She could no longer recognize their faces, names, sights, or smells. All she knew was that, these kids, these…young brats, would come in and bother her to eat, sleep, and take her medicine.

After swallowing, Mrs. Flyer grumbled and turned to her side, not wanting to have company anymore.

"Your welcome." Was Petrie's only matter of fact response before he stood himself up and turned to walk away from his mother.

Curled into a semi-fetal position, Mrs. Flyer calls out in an almost mystic voice. "Flame…Flame…it's been a long time. How are you?"

It was frequent for her to call names that Petrie and his siblings did not recognize. In particular, it was this flyer, the name "Flame". She spoke in a loving, sweet tone, as though she was speaking to a lover.

Exhaling his stress from the encounter, Petrie decides to go to his nest and rest for a bit, waiting for his other siblings to arrive. Petrie and his siblings alternated in twos to take care of their mother, while the others would have a break from her. He sits down and rests his chin in his hands, looking faraway from his home

Terri sees her brother attempting to bring himself together and she approaches him in her usual timid way and mumbles.

"I-I don't know how you do it."

Perking up his head, Petrie turns to see his sister looking down at her feet and he asks in a gentle tone, "Sorry, didn't hear you. What was it?"

This time, Terri spoke up in a shaky voice. "I-I don't know how you do that. She's so mean to you, to everyone." Her placid, chocolate eyes were wet with sympathy.

Petrie let out a soft sigh as he stood up to wrap his wings around his sister like a shield.

Terri could not hold back anymore and broke down to sobs as she was being embraced. Petrie was quiet as she sobbed, waiting to speak up when she was done.

However, the fact was, she could never stop sobbing. If she had the will, she would have sobbed until her death. Every night, she would cry herself to sleep and dream of better times, as a hatchling, before the illness that grasped its hold on her mother. Although the sickness itself did not spread to the siblings, whom were always careful to stay vibrant, young, and healthy; the affects loomed over them like a dark, thundering storm that could never cease. Even if the outside weather was warm, beautiful, and ripe, inside, it was always cold, heartless, and dead.

Nevertheless, Terri's waterfall of tears was complete for the time being. The tears stained Petrie's shoulder as proof of the action.

Petrie set her down in his nest to offer brotherly advice in the most tender way possible, looking deeply into her eyes and resting his hands on top her shoulders. Terry stared back with reddened, strained eyes.

"Terri, we are doing our own part to help mom. This won't last forever, even though it feels like it. I won't allow this to be forever."

At this sentence he tightened his grip, which made the younger flyer shiver and look down again. Petrie however, did not seem to notice the reaction for he was well deep into his thoughts, as though he was faraway from the den, beyond the Valley and the Mysterious Beyond.

"I-I've been a burden though."

At this Petrie awoke from his trance and stared in disbelief.

"Why you think that?"

"I-I just can't do w-what you or everyone else can do. I-I'm not strong enough."

Petrie feverishly shook his head, not believing what he was hearing.

"You have been more help to me, our brothers and sisters, and mom; than anyone here. Please, look at me, even if mom can't see it now, I-I just know there is part of her that knows who you are, and remembers you more then us."

Terri sniffed and brightened up at her brother's sweet, encouraging words.

After a long pause, the two flyers stopped embracing and Petrie excused Terri from anymore of her duties to help him with their mother. However, with a worried look, Terri hugged her brother tightly and added, "Thank you Petrie."

She turned away and with a loving look, took off to get some air, leaving her brother in the den.


	4. Author's Note

Hi.

This story I've been writing and rewriting for over nine years. Constantly trying to readjust and sometimes it just outright falls flat. This might be one of those stories.

I still love Land Before Time and its characters, I am even role playing some of them just for fun. At the moment though, I think this needs to be set aside for some projects I am heavily considering and want to pursue even more than this.

From it's very early incarnation to "Land Before Time 12: Warrior Flyers" where I would shamelessly borrow elements from my other favorite shows/books/movies I was interested at the time, to what it is now, while I prefer this incarnation over the older one, I'm still not happy with it. Part of it is due to my perfectionist nature, the other is lack of motivation for it.

I'll see you guys later,

until then,

Adieu and happy writing!


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